Rain gutters have long been used on many types of structures including commercial and residential buildings. One purpose of rain gutters is to collect rainwater runoff from a roof of a structure and divert the collected runoff away from the building through the use of downspouts and the like. Rain gutters are typically formed from a length of sheet metal such as sheet steel or sheet aluminum. Rain gutters are frequently formed in a continuous, progressive forming process in which the sheet metal is pulled into a forming machine from a large roll supported on a rotating spool. In some instances, gutters are formed at the installation site. In other instances, pre-made gutter sections of standard or custom lengths are shipped to the installation site. A common problem associated with the use of a rain gutter is that leaves, seed pods, dirt and other debris tends to collect in the gutter, which often hinders the function of the gutter. The process of cleaning debris from rain gutters can be laborious, unsavory and dangerous. Various types of gutter guards have been developed in an attempt to reduce accumulation of debris in rain gutters. Various detriments can be associated with the use of conventional rain gutter guards.
Further, gutters are oftentimes subjected to external loads or forces, such as: an accumulation of ice, snow, water and/or debris, either within the gutter itself or on the upper surface of a gutter guard; the weight of a person stepping on the gutter and/or the gutter guard (as for example, when clearing debris from a rooftop); and forces applied by a ladder or the like leaning against the front edge of the gutter. These external loads and forces can cause irreversible damage to gutters (e.g., by deforming the gutter beyond its natural ability to resiliently spring back), and can also cause gutter guards to collapse into the gutter itself.